CBA reaction from Sounders FC camp — exclusive with Sigi Schmid

(Thoughts on the days news from a coaching perspective)
I answer it more from a soccer fan’s perspective, and I think it’s a great day for the soccer fan. I’ve been a fan of soccer in this country for a long time. So for me it’s a very happy day. It means we’re not going to have a strike. It means we’re going to have soccer. It means the fans are going to be able to come to games. It also means that there’s something that the players were able to move ahead in their quest to improve their situation. And the ownership was still able to maintain what they needed to keep this league going and surviving. What do you call that? Is that synergy? When it all that comes together? I think that’s great.
As a coach, I think it’s great. I don’t think it was hindering anything we were doing. It was more like a dull pain that was sort of always there a little bit, and you knew it was hanging around. It didn’t affect anything we were doing but we were always aware of it. Now that it’s behind us it will allow us to free our minds a little bit.

(On the fans expectations shifting from wanting a deal done to wanting three points)
We want three points as well. We had a good intrasquad scrimmage Friday night, a 3-3 tie. So it was good for the one group to jump out there and show that they’re ready to compete and play. And it was good for the other group to show that they can score goals and bang the ball away as well. That was good. I think our guys are raring to go. Like I said last week, everyone’s ready to say, “Let’s start. Let’s stop practicing, let’s just start. Let’s get this thing going.”(On having the attention to Seattle now)
I think it’s a great sign of respect that the league has given Seattle and our fans by allowing us to host the opener for the second year in a row because it sets the tone. I think our fans have set a standard that other teams want to climb up to and match and achieve as well. From that standpoint I think the fans have to be very proud that they’re hosting another opener. We’re excited because we know all the focus, all the attention, we know know every player and coach in the league are going to be watching that game, because we’re the only game on that day. Everyone’s going to want to have a look at what we’re all about this year and what the new Union team is all about.